Johnbee58

Does anybody here know how to add/remove pictures from or to the display on a Sony Walkman MP3 player model #NWZ-E383? I can't seem to get rid of the damned blurred 45 RPM record label that comes in on the display of everything of mine that is original. The 45 pic must be some kind of default pic. I'd lake to add my own pictures if I can. I have it synched with Windows Media Player. Don't know what version but it's on a Windows 10 PC I bought early last year (2018) Thanks for any advise given. ?John B

Thanks Allan & Joad. ?JB

Thanks OJ & Freddy! I'd love to redo this song but it's an alternate tuning which I charted back then but I lost the charts. I DID redo it about 10 years ago on a Zoom MRS802 but it didn't turn out too great. This performance and arrangement was something I've always been proud of but the fidelity it poor. Just a beautiful song caught at a bad time. ?JB

Sounds about as 60s as it can get, from the car lyrics to the beat. Excellence as usual from you, Freddy J. ?John B

I can't believe how clean this is coming from a sound on sound recording. Didn't seem to lose much fidelity at all through the bouncing. ❤️John B

Some of your stuff should be studied at Berklee. ?John B

Wow! This is NICE! Especially that trumpet. Sounds like something you'd hear from Return to Forever when they had the horn section. Love the funky beat. You should be very proud of this! ❤️John B

So, the monkey in the business suit is at it again. ? Great as usual. Top notch production. Nice lyrics. ❤️John B

Mark, Andrew and Gary- Thanks! @garybrun, I wish I had that Altaverb you used on one of my samples. That's a damn neat reverb, but unfortunately I can't afford $600.00 for it. @Andrew Ball You don't know how much I wish I had the fingering and chord charts from this, because I would love to re create it. It's a total mystery what I used but I sure could polish it up with what I have now. ❤️JB

This was written and recorded in 1989 on a Fostex 160 multitracker cassette portastudio. Featured my Martin D18 (again), my Yamaha RX17 drum programmer. Bass and synth was from a Yamaha PSS470 keyboard and piano was from a Casio CT 370 (I think) keyboard. 30 years ago and my voice was much younger and better. I wrote this for my first wife, Ellen. WARNING! VERY LO FI https://www.soundclick.com/html5/v4/player.cfm?songID=13915930 Also, for your viewing pleasure, I did a video a year or two later because she wanted me to sing it live for her. (I wish I could remember what I did with that shirt). Hope you enjoy these.? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09dBJNd3Fsc ❤️John B.

Does anybody know how much longer Hybrid is on sale? I might try that. I can afford $15.00, but I'd like to play around with it first before I buy. I already have Iris 2. @razor7musicGenre would probably be pop/soft rock or adult contemporary. Thank you all!❤️ ?JB

Joad, Paul & Daryl-Thanks! ?JB

Thank Toddskins and Mark M. ? Todd, there is no song right now. Most of the instrumentals I've worked on up until now have used the DIZI flute plugin I mentioned above. Here's the latest one: https://johnbowen.bandcamp.com/track/gingers-song That flute is my main go-to for instrumentals as far as the lead voice. But I feel now as if I've used it enough and just would like to use a nice mellow synth type sound for one or two tunes. I do love the DIZI because it reminds me of Chuck Greenburg's lyricon sound from Shadowfax, if you've ever heard any of their stuff when he was with them in the 80s. It's also easy to control. Not bad for a freebie. But It's time for some variety because I must've used it in at least 10 songs. Maybe I'll find something when I'm finished downloading the rest of Iris 2s library. It has 11 gigs of sounds and I don't think I'm anywhere near the end yet. Mark M. Is that a free synth? ?JB

I would really like to write more instrumentals because I can't sing anymore and it's getting more difficult and frustrating with every new project. ? I like to do an occasional instrumental but I'm limited on lead instruments. The one I use mostly is a Chinese flute model called "Dizi Flute" which is a free plugin and I love it. But I cannot use the same lead every project. It gets old after awhile. I have TONS of synth sounds, some I paid for but most free. I have Dimension LE, Syntronix, DX7-V, Kontakt Factory Select, a free library in Reaktor, a few AAS sound packs and I just got Iris 2 by Izotope. I haven't downloaded all of its library yet though. But I haven't found a nice and rich sound for a lead synth yet. Maybe I just haven't shopped around enough. Does anybody have any suggestions? Would appreciate it. Looking for nice, rich melodic sounds. Thanks ?John B

I like the tune very much but some of the timing sounds a bit off. ?John B

Nice. Everything works well together. As far as instruments, you could go with many, but I like piano/violin. ?John B

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I knew there was a good reason NOT to go with the update. I started a thread earlier this week on this because I got the email on Monday (or Tuesday?). Anyway, my logic was since I was not having an issue with my 6i6, there wasn't a need to "borrow trouble". IOW-"If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Most of the posters agreed with me and I didn't update. However, I did look back on my download history that day and found that I did do some kind of update on the Focusrite drivers in early May of 2018 (I don't remember the details). I also took note that on the same day there was a Team Viewer download in my download history indicating a call to Sweetwater's tech support who I probably called to fix a problem. Reminder to you guys who are having an issue-If you bought your Focusrite interface from Sweetwater you should contact them to help you solve your problem. They can get into your system with the team viewer and do a remote fix and they'll do it for free anytime so long as you purchased your interface from them. Probably get you up and running sooner because I've heard horror stories about Focusrite's taking their good ol' time with support issues. ?John B

I got an email today from Focusrite telling me that they made a software driver update for my Scarlett 6i6 interface and encouraged me to download it and install it. I don't think I want to do that. Why? Because the interface is working fine and I don't want to take a chance at making trouble. I'm a firm believer in the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" It's very kind of Focusrite to offer this to fix any bugs (and they say those are too numerous to list), but I'm not experiencing any difficulty and I'm afraid that I might if I do the update. What say you? Should I bite the bullet, hold my breath and do the update, or just let everything alone? Thanks for your feedback. ?John B

Grem. Thank you. The Fostex X15 had no internal mic. It was essentially a little battery operated job (picture in link below) I used a Peavey PVM 38, which is the equivalent of the Shure SM 58. I still have that mic today and still use it sometimes. It's a very reliable mic. My D18 probably sounds like a 12 string because I dubbed it twice. About 2 years later I "graduated" to a Fostex 160 multitracker. It was still 4 track cassette but ran at a higher speed (3.75 ips), had more onboard EQ options and you could plug in (via Aux Send) 1 effect. I bought an Alesis Microverb II for reverb. I also bought my first drum machine the following year, which was a Yamaha RX17. I still have both of those toys in my basement. ?JB https://reverb.com/item/26729604-fostex-x-15-recorder?gclid=CjwKCAjw-vjqBRA6EiwAe8TCk-cUg6siP1-SZceOPgGi2m1s4sqVpDkdhA_hXeQF2n97-B8uVdW_DBoCyMYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&merchant_id=109799015&pla=1&utm_campaign=672877369&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google

Reading Pennsylvania, USA (Taylor Swift territory) ?John B

Nice track. Very thoughtful lyrics and nice acoustic work. Throw a couple of fill variations into the drum track and you'd have it nailed. ?John B

Very early (talking late 70s) I bounced between an open reel and a stereo cassette deck. After about 4 bounces it sounded real crappy, but at least I got the idea down. ?JB

I had several of Will Ackermann's Windham Hill albums in the 80s and 90s. He made it look easy. I was considering pursuing this kind of music back then, but it never happened (long story). You did a fabulous job on this. I'd love to hear what you could do with "Remedios" and Processional". Bet you could do them equally as well. It's astonishing how much can be done with just acoustic guitar. ?John B EDIT-Did you ever hear of a guy named Michael Hedges? That guy (unfortunately passed on?) was out of this world. He could do things on an acoustic that weren't heard of then.

Thought you might find this interesting. I found this on an old PC hard drive. Way back in 1987, this is how I wrote and recorded my music. Years before Cakewalk and digital and Toontrack, Waves, Native Instruments and plugins I had a Fostex X-15 4 track recorder. Some of you might have gone this route back in the day. The fidelity is terrible! Lofi to the highest degree. You would NEVER consider selling something made in this fashion (cassette based. Tape speed 1.75 ips). This was strictly demos only, but you could overdub and bounce tracks. Oh yes, another thing. I played guitar back then too. I still have my Martin D-18 acoustic hanging on the wall in my studio. I get it off the rack every now and then and play what I can off of it, but I was away from it for so long it has become impossible for me to do anything with it now. I was even into alternative tunings and fingerings back then. This song was an experiment in an alternative tuning. I had the tuning and fingerings for this song charted but lost them. I would love to know how I came up with this but it was 32 years ago and I can't remember. The other instrument you hear is a clarinet (dubbed twice for harmony). I played clarinet since my teens (and saxophone). I still have my Buffett Crampon, but my asthma doesn't allow me to play that much either these days. The song is called "Should've Known". I apologize for the lofi but you might like it anyway. https://www.soundclick.com/html5/v4/player.cfm?songID=13912567 ?John B